1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is directed to power distribution units (PDU) having a small physical profile, and more specifically to small profile PDU products which include removable management modules.
2. Related Art
Equipment racks are typically used to house server and networking components in data centers. The number of components and the complexity of the data centers varies based on specific requirements of an individual site.
In addition to the server and network components, power distribution and power supply components including power distribution units (PDUs) for providing power to the components are typically installed in equipment racks. Conventional equipment racks are designed to optimize space utilization, provide for cooling of the various components all while balancing the need for servicing the various installed elements and even the racks themselves. Standards such as the Electronics Industry Association (EIA) RS-310 19″ rack standard have been developed to standardize the height and width of electronic rack systems to facilitate effective use of space within equipment racks. The vertical space within a rack system is generally defined in vertical mounting unit increments, often referred to as “U's.” A mounting unit or U is typically 1.75 inches. Interior rails of rack systems often have three mounting slots selectively spaced within each U of vertical space for attaching components. Rack systems and components are typically sized in mounting unit increments. For example, “2U” components are sized to fit within a 2U vertical space; “48U” and “72U” racks are sized to have 48U and 72U, respectively, of usable vertical mounting space.
Power distribution units can be installed in the mounting space of a rack, and in addition, “Zero U” PDUs can be installed in the rear of an equipment rack, outside of the mounting space. Conventionally, Zero U PDUs may be difficult to service based on the concentration of components and associated cabling in a rack.
Frequently, a malfunctioning PDU must be removed from a rack and the entire unit replaced. The need to replace the entire PDU, can result in significant down time for rack components. High availability components may need to be powered down for such replacement, and power connections may need to be removed and reconnected to a newly installed PDU. In some PDUs, upwards of 40 outlets are connected in a given PDU installation. A full replacement necessitates that each connection be removed, the PDU uninstalled, a replacement installed, all of the connections re-established, and any site specific settings and configuration data must be re-established for the newly installed unit.